Lips closed, no words said
by GwenynGwanunig
Summary: (AU. Ironhide didn't die in the DOTM-movie!) Before Optimus Prime was foud by Cade Yeager and he fell in love with the young woman called Lauren, he remembers a time where two friends are torn apart, hunted by friend and foe for the autobots they loved. Ratchet/oc. Ironhide/Oc. Prequel to " The words that we spoke were infinite." Characterdeath. Violence.
1. Chapter 1

Lauren sighs, hair blowing in her face. Annoyed she pushes the golden strands back and wrinkles her nose. The sun is going down and the sky is beautiful as usual, yet to Lauren it just reminds her she is now someone without a home./p

You are here alone. It is not wise." Her head barely reaches the middle ofem his/em lower leg, the way she sits with her own dangling over the abandoned bridge they are staying tonight, looking into the abyss. " Does it matter?" she says. "I've loved Tessa as my little sister since she was young and what does she do? She abandons me to a decepticon in favour of her boyfriend. She might as well have shot me in the head."

"You are angry." Optimus says. It's not a question, just an observation. "She is young." He says soothingly. " Young and still foolish." -"It doesn't matter!" Lauren spits. " I ran after her and protected her from a decepticon, nearly dying myself, and without even thnking of that fact, she pushes me off and screams at me and then runs to smooch with her boyfriend. He's not the one who jumped after her, did he?" Optimus sighs. ' I suppose not."

"I suppose it hurts if you look at it like that." Lauren says nothing and watched the ground below. The clanking and wirring of metal legs surprise her and then Optimus sits next to her as well as he can. " I don't like it when you are worried." He says. Lauren doesn't answer. Her hair moves in the breeze slowly and for a moment she closes her eyes. Optimus's hands are so big, yet it's nothing but with a certain adoration his big hand rests softly upon her head and bathes her sunny world in shadow.

Lauren sighs again and then pulls her legs up to her chest. " Shouldn't you be planning with Cade?" She says, clearly still upset. " " Cade can be alone for the moment." Then his hand moves and his hand taps her softly in the back, a sign for her to sit up a little. His hand scoops her up and she is soon seated on his shoulder. " I need to tell you something."

He sighs and then some wirring resounds and out of nowhere a picture appears. Lauren takes it and stares at it. It's a picture, slightly crooked and faded, yet she can make out Ratchet and Ironhide in the background and in the front two young women.  
One has long blonde hair, pale skin, brown eyes and light freckles on her below her eyes, on the top of her cheeks. The young woman holds a camera and does a kiss-face in the lens, and Ironhide's fingers can be seen around her waist. Next to her, around which the blonde woman's arm is wrapped, is a pale woman, slightly suntanned with long brown hair, smiling softly in the camera, and Lauren can see she is sitting on Ratchet's hand. What is striking about her the most however is her two coloured tone eyes, her right eye blue and left one green.

In the background the Autobots smile at the young women in front of them. " Who are they?" Lauren asks and turns her head to Optimus. " They were my friends, and Ironhide's and Ratchet's lover. That is Chloe-" He points to the blonde woman. " Ironhide's girlfriend. And that's Sarah. Ratchet's girlfriend." He points to the brown-haired woman. "This was taken a little while before the Chicago war. Sarah was 27 at that moment and Chloe 23."

Lauren can feel oncoming dread. " What happened to them? " she croaks. Optimus is silent. " They were hunted like animals, murdered by their own kind for loving one of mine." His voice is loud, angry. Lauren is silent, and sadness can be read from her posture. " It is time I tell you what happened." He puts away the picture and puts the young blonde haired woman next to him and then he starts to tell the story of Sarah and Chloe.

It's dark. So dark they can barely see their feet. Sarah heaves, breath coming difficultly.

They've been on the run all night. Though they are ahead of their enemies, it will not last long. " Autobots." Optimus says. " The moment has come." A silence falls over them and Sarah looks up, brown hair hanging in her face and two colored eyes frowning. " What moment?" Next to Ironhide Chloe perks up as well, long blonde hair and freckled face wrinkling.

" What are you talking about Optimus?" The autobots look at each other uneasily, awkward. " It is time." "Time for what, Prime?" Chloe snarls. Ironhide tries to placate her but she steps around his arms, indignant and upset./p  
" We are going to split up for now." Optimus says, voice neutral. -" Split up, wh..?" Sarah mumbles. And then it is clear to the brown-haired woman like a thunderstrike. " You are all splitting up because it's safer." She mumbles. Her heart thuds in her chest, disbelief colouring her sight. The air roars in her ears and she can hear Chloe, the most vocal of both of them, huffing hysterically, protesting Optimus's decision.

"Sarah's heart is still pounding and for a moment she thinks with disbelief this cannot be it. She thinks back to everything. To the aftermath of the battle of Chicago when suddenly the streets were littered with posters to report alien activity. The fear of walking the streets at night when it was dark and she could hear people clamoring for heads of transformers, good and bad alike.

The upset when she saw the body of robotfriends she'd known. The torn bodies on the television, the tears and her heart breaking as she watched the news who presented it as a sensational event, the nights she cried herself to sleep. She remembers Ratchet grieving, hearing his movements and arms pounding on the ground and his struggle through the walls of her house.

She remembers hiding him in her garden, under old scraps to keep him hidden. She remembers a cold night when Chloe phoned her and cried and said Arcee had been taken and killed. She remembered turning on the television and watching Arcee's broken body lying on the cold ground, and going outside and her hand squeezing Ratchet's fingertip as she cried and he heaved, grunting, grieving in silence.

She remembers the nights where she was asleep on his chest; to scared to stay in her house if they should run.

It's funny how it was none else but the small Decepticon that used to stay with Mikaela -Wheelie- that warns them of the fact they've been ratted out.  
And indeed, barely has he warned her or her house is stormed by dozens of men in black and darkblue clothing.

"Miss!" Sarah turns, just ready and out of the shower. She's brushing her hair when she hears the small voice and sees a small silhouette out of the corner of her eyes. " Wheelie?" The small Decepticon nods. " You have to hurry, young lady." Sarah frowns.

" Why?" " No time!" The decepticon says, twitching as he looks around. " They are after you! The special ops, Cemetery Wind." Her heart wrenches in her chest for a small moment and then her bedroomwindow breaks. Jumping through is a man in black with a mask on his face. " Sarah Reynolds, you are under arrest!" Sarah blinks, heart thudding, hand in front of her.

" No you don't. Ayee!" Wheelie swings himself at the man and gives Sarah the time to take what she needs. A backpack with everything, clothes, food, sanitary products as well as the most of her personal stuff are ready. She grabs hold of it, trudges down the stairs and runs to the backdoor. Yet there are many of them. She hears other windows breaking and more men arrive. Screaming for her to stop. Then one points his gun and her eyes widen. The brown-haired woman ducks and hears the bullets impact behind her. Sarah stumbles through her door, into her yard but she is too late. She late. One grabs at her foot and sends her sprawling to the floor.

" Stay down!" The man snarls, pushing her down harshly and she hears her bones creak and then she screams. It is enough to wake Ratchet. Suddenly a large yellow-greenish hand swipes at the men around her, sending them flying meters away. " Sarah!" Ratchet shouts and then he is up and grabs her none to gently by her middle and then starts to move with great steps. The soldiers shout but before they can do anything Ratchet turns to his vehicle form with Sarah in it and leaves at high speed./em/p

" Where to now?"

Ratchet answers through the radio. " Now we find Optimus. Go to sleep. I'll wake you if I need your help." The car shudders and warms, and Sarah still shook by what happened, shaking, teeth chattering, sinks down, tears running over her cheeks." Sleep." Ratchet says. " I will keep you safe." Saarah sinks in the back seat and listens to the monotonous roaring of the car beneath her and eventually falls asleep.

-  
Chloe sighs and sits up. " Like I told you already. " She spits. " I know nothing of Sarah and the autobot she was with. I wasn't even aware she left!"

-" Bullshit." The cop calls and smashes his fist on the table. " You've been in contact with them, have you not?" -" During the battle of Chicago!" Chloe yells indignantly." Afterwards not anymore!"

" You..-!" The policeman nearly lunges at her. Chloe turns her head and huffs, refusing to speak. " It's okay, get someting to drink." A man says. He is older, with short cropped grey hair. " Miss Davis. " He drawls. " My name is Luke Savoy. Special agent of the C.I. A." Chloe raises a brow. " So?" Agent Savoy walks slowly around the table and then stands next to her. " We have reason to think you are hiding secret related to the autobots."

Chloe huffs " I told you already, I know nothing of autobots." -" Do you?" Agent Savoy says. He stands closer and Chloe starts to feel uneasy. She looks at him and then suddenly, lighting fast, he grips her hair and tears her head backward. A pained gasp leaves her. " Do you know my specialty, miss Davis?" He growls. " I am a hitman, a trained assasin." Chloe gasps again but the man, Agent Savoy, doesn't say anthing before slamming her head into the table.

Vision swimming, pain radiating through her head, Chloe falls backwards and crawls to a corner. She feels her nose bleeding and she knows her cheeks will be big and swollen. The young woman with blonde hair shudders as the special agent, kneels in front of her, down to her height. " What I did is the least I can do. I can make this painful for you or we can go the easy way where you tell me everything you know." -" I will never tell you. Never." Chloe heaves.

" Too bad." Savoy says. He takes hold of her arm and then swings her around, until she smashes agian into the table. He repeats it several times, until Chloe cannot breathe properly. "Still not telling?" -" Fuck you! I will not tell you anything. Never, you hear me? I will never tell you!"/em/p

"Your courage is foolish. " Savoy says. " But if you really don't want to say anything, no reason to keep you alive." Before he can point his gun, an enormous light lights up the small police room. Chloe hears the familiar whirring of guns and cannons and then a huge cannon stares Agent Savoy in the face. " Let .her. go." A large black autobot stands in the window, optics crinkled with anger. Savoy looks up and his eyes flicker for a second to the trigger of his gun. " Don't try." Ironhide snarls. " Or i'll terminate you here before you have fired your shot." His eyes flicker to Chloe and his metal nose wrinkles in angryness.

" Chloe." He grumbles deadly, voice low and threathening. Chloe, with a bloody chin and bloody clothes, hair a mess, crawls towards the large robot outside and into his outstretched hand. Then he deposits her into the arms of Bumblebee. " Let's go!" " She recognizes Sideswipe, who takes her from Bumblebee and starts skating away. " Bring her to Ratchet!" One of the twins shout. It is the last time she will see The Twins and Sideswipe alive.

And now here they are. The six of them are standing together. Optimus nods to all of them. " Autobots, it was a pleasure to fight by your side." -" No." Chloe's voice is small.  
Her brows are furrowed and tears form in her eyes. Before she knows she is crying, freckled face wet and shaking. " I will miss you, Chloe. Be safe." The autobot-leader speaks. Chloe nods and shakes Optimus hand. Next comes Bumblebee."I will never forget you." He plays as song. Chloe smiles through her tears and then hugs his face as best as she can. Next she steps up to Ratchet and nods to him and pats his large hand.

She watches as Sarah says her goodbyes to everyone. Kissing Bumblebee's cheek and squeezing Ironhide's arm. She then smiles up to Optimus and claps his hands with her own, a small teary smile appearing on her face. " It is time to go." Ratchet says. Sarah nods and then turns to her best friend.

She frowns and her tears start anew. Sarah hiccups and then is in Chloe's arms, both girls hugging each other so tightly it's not clear where one begins and one ends. They stand like this for a while. " I will miss you." Chloe says. Sarah nods. " Me too." They both smile, though still crying. " You take care of yourself alright?" Chloe huffs. Sarah nods. "You too. don't forget to drink enough water."-" And you don't forget to sleep and don't pull all nighters." They hug each other a last time and then step away, still holding on to each other's arms.

" It's time to go." Ironhide says again. Then Chloe's face changes into a determined look and she nods and steps away. Ironhide turns into a truck and waits. Chloe opens the door of the black vehicle and looks one last time at all of them, waves to Sarah and then steps in and closes the door.

Sarah sees her go with an aching heart and then hiccups one last time before following Ratchet's hand on her small shoulder. She looks at all of them, her friends, and whispers. " Be safe."

Then she steps into the green and yellow medical vehicle and watches until all cars; the camaro, the GMC and the large blue truck go out of sight. She still cries, head against the window. But Ratchet says nothing. The Autobot's goodbyes were just as heartbreaking and so they both wallow in their own grief for the moment, riding farther and farther away from their former life.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been years, Chloe thinks. Four years since she has last seen her friends. The last was a message from Optimus warning them to stay away. She snorts. It's funny thinking that she **is** human and she stays clear from her own species.

They are in the woods today. Ironhide is asleep, resting after having travelled at night while she slept. Chloe is washing herself in a nearby stream and watches the sun go down, waiting for her hair to dry. They've travelled from one end of America to the other. She supposes that now they must be somewhere near Idaho. Not long after she is completely dry, she decides to turn back. Her big metal boyfriend is snoring softly, finally asleep deeply after several nights of not sleeping correctly. She supposes she can leave him for the moment.

A few hours later, when the sky is turning dark she decides to wake him. " Hey, sleepyhead." She drawls and steps next to him. She taps his nose softly and then his eyes open, the blue optics focusing on her. Chloe smiles. " Did you sleep well?" Ironhide groans. " Actually, I did." -" You think we can stay here tonight?" Ironhide nods. " It is safe. I think it would be no problem." They sit by the fire, Chloe waiting for her clothes to dry, Ironhide staring into the flames.

During dinner, or what they now call dinner, Chloe is munching on a piece of canned meat and Ironhide on a piece of metal when the black robot speaks up.

" I wonder how they are." Ironhide says. Chloe smiles sadly. " I hate it, not kowing anything." Ironhide nods. " Yes, I agree. I hate not knowing how they are." Then his head turns to look at her." I sometimes wonder if it was a good idea to take you with me." Chloe stands up and walks over to him. " It was a decision I made for my own." She says, blonde hair, now much shorter faling on his rightshoulder. " And I would make the same choice **again and again,** were I to live my life hundreds of times anew." Ironhide turns, blue optics whirring to look at her. " I love you, my mate." Ironhide whispers Chloe smiles, arms outstretched, eyes shining. " I love you, Ironhide, my mate."

Ironhide's lover, his mate, leans forward and he thinks no matter if she's flesh, I would not spent my life with anyone else. Ironhide doesn't move when Chloe steps over his legs and climbs up his chest. She hangs forward and then puts her lips on his. For a moment all is right again with the world and their troubles dissapear. Then Chloe smiles and climbs down.

Ironhide starts to lay himself on the ground and Chloe follows, stepping in between his arms with an old pillow stuffed with whatever she could find an a small bedcover. Before she can think further on what tommorow wil bring, the young woman sinks into sleep, arm resting on the cold metal of Ironhide's arm.

 **Months later.**

It is early evening, still light and clear outside, when the alarms go off. Chloe wakes with a startle, not sure what has happened, barely up when she hears the whirring of Ironhide's arms and legs clicking into place.

"They found us." He snarls. Chloe's heart thuds in panick, fear making itself master of herself, yet she pushes it down. The old building they are in will not cover them for long and so they know they have to go now. " Ironhide." She whispers urgently. " Coming" He says. He stands up slowly, touches Chloe's cheek and then forms into his carform. Chloe takes her things and hops in, and then they leave as fast as they can.

This time they are however not lucky. Somehw Cemetery Wind seems to find them each time.

"Wait , Ironhide." -Chloe sinks down onto the ground, body heaving. "I'm at my limit."

-" We cannot stop. A little farther and we can rest." -" I've been running all day. I feel like I'm going to gong to faint." Chloe whispers. They'd not stopped for long, only to eat quickly before leaving again. First Ironhide had carried her with him, but soon the region became to rocky to ride along and so they had walked at a brisk pace until Ironhide had somehow caught a sign that they were coming closer and since then they'd been running and running.

Still wet from the waterfall they had passed through, Chloe breathes deeply. Ironhide still looks around, very sure they are still being tracked. " Will you not fight them?" -" I wil but only as last resort. I fear some of my own are with them, those damn robots." At that Chloe nearly blows a fuse. " Your own kind are teaming up against you?!" Ironhide nods. " If you cannot walk, I will carry you." His arms already reach out. Chloe shakes her head. " No, I should be fi-.."

She can't even finish her sentence before she hears the whizz of a missile and a loud explosion fills her ears, sending Ironhide to the ground and Chloe flying several yards away. The impact is brute and sudden, and Chloe hears her ribs crack when she impacts the ground. She coughs, slime and blood starting to form in her mouth. She is belly down, hands trying to push herself up and she nearly succeeds when a second explosion impacts near her and she is sent flying again. This time it sends her so far she falls into a roof and as she starts slipping of it she grips herself, hanging loosely from the edge of the old house.

She screams in pain when she tumbles back, arms outstretched and ribs screaming in agony. The young woman hears the telltale signs of Ironhide's canons going off, shooting left and right, as he curses at their pursuers who are screaming to shoot him down.

' Shoot that bitch!" Someone shouts and before she knows it, bullets fly around her, grazing her knees and legs. She screams again, arms losing their strength and then Chloe is falling, and everything seemed to slow. Her blood flies around her in droplets and ringlets, her hair flows around her, her mouth open in a gasp as she feels herself fall backwards to the cold ground.

Before she can do anything a large hand moves forward and harshly grips her around her waist and for a moment she feels like a car has rammed into her full force. Ironhide falls, rolling over the ground, all the while holding onto Chloe. As the men around them shout orders, Ironhide tries to stand, stil holding the young woman in his hand.

" You damned bastards!" He roars. " Is this the gratitude we receive for having protected you for years?!"

Then he stands and starts to run for cover. The cemetery wind soldiers don't give up however and are at it again. With heavily armed cars they drive after the autobot who is about to transform when his way is cut off. And then a shot resounds. It is enough for Chloe to turn her head and see the rocket flying towards them before it hits Ironhide's left side. He stumbles, nearly going to the ground when another shot is fired and she can see the sparks flying from the hole forming in his abdomen.

" Noo!" Chloe's screech, high, disbelieving, ends in a wordless cry as Ironhide, still firing, starts to fall forward. The men holler and surround him.

" Ironhide!" His blonde-haired lover screams, still clenched in his hand. Then he sinks to the ground. Groaning in pain, but still angry. " Enough, you despicable creatures! Enough!"

Another impact, and he is hit in the middle and then _it_ appears. A large silhouette, silver, much larger then Ironhide. " Lockdown." The autobot spits. The silver robot says nothing, only tears the canons right off Ironhides arms.

Now it is Ironhide who roars in pain. Chloe still screams his name as he tries to get himself up when the soldiers, cruel in their game, shoot large nets and make him fall again, on his back. Parts go flying everywhere and his arm shakes before throwing Chloe half away, no strenght left. She is in freefall, through the air and lands hard on his open chest, that is broken, scratched and green liquid is pouring from between his chestplates. Her hands and body are full of the liquid, her darling's lifeblood yet she crawls upwards to her face as he heaves and the robot Lockdown comes forward.

" Where is Prime." He growls, acting as if Chloe is air. Chloe stumbls backward, knifecutting pain in her legs as she crawls towards Ironhide's neck. She sees the men laughing, jeering and then one shoots again, right into Ironhide's chest. " No, stop!" She screams, arms envelopping Ironhide's head and then she puts herself in front of him, half lying, half sitting up, arms spread wide.

"Where is Prime!" Lockdown growls again. Ironhide doens't answer , only brings his arm forward, shaking, fingers half torn, and holds onto Chloe, bringing her to his chest, hands protectively envelopping her. " I will never tell you." He says.

" Then, you will both die." Lockdown growls and then retrieves a large sword. Chloe's eyes widen. " Ironhide...!" She cries in fear. " I'm...here." He coughs. And then, human's back to his front, both arms over her on his chest, holding on to the human woman in his arms, Ironhide looks up to face his enemy.

Lockdown brings up the large sword in his hand and then brings it down. Chloe's scream pierces the air as the sword cleaves into her stomach and ribcage and into the autobot's lifesource below.

One heartbeat, two, and she falls still. A last shake and the weapon specialist of the autobot's to falls still. Lifeless blue and lifeless cold green eyes stare into nowhere.

Lockdown tears the tiny human and Ironhide's arm from his sword and then retrieves Ironhide's spark. He steps away and pays no attention to the carnage of autobot and human he leaves behind.


	3. Chapter 3

The moment she hears helicopters, Sarah knows it's too late. Barely do she and Ratchet look at each other or their hiding place is blasted apart.

"Ah! Aah" Ratchet groans in pain as he falls forward. " No!" He pleads and then starts crawling on all fours to get away from the deck of theboat on which he finds himself. Barely has he moved, or Sarah, still hidden in the scraps of metal, sees a helicopter approaching and shoot a rocket at Ratchet. The autobot has no time to even defend himself from the impact, the blast sends him sprawling on his left side.

" Ratchet!" Sarah screams. He crawls forward again, pulling himself forward until he can roll over to the lower deck of the ship. He has not even put his feet down or another missile is shot and Ratchet dissapears in a flurry of the large explosion, metal from his body as well as wood flying everywhere. He groans in pain again and looks at Sarah." Go! Hurry!" Sarah screams and then Ratchet lets himself fall from the leftside of the ship and into the water.

Sarah follows, running as fast as she can and jumping into the water. She sinks into the water below and then a large hand grips her, and Ratchet pushes himself to the surface. He walks, nearly limps onto shore and then quickly transforms.

Sarah sits in the frontseat, as Ratchet leaves, wheels jeering onto the dirty road, ready to leave the bay behind. " He's on the run, he's on the run!" Sarah can hear the radios of their pursuers behind her and looks out of Ratchet's window. " Sarah, get in." Ratchet says and pulls a sharp left so that she falls into her seat, windows closing.

It's not long before the green medical truck is followed by black jeeps, a soldier on one of them pointing a large machine gun and shooting at the fleeing transformer. The autobots veers sharply on the road, rockets and missiles exploding one by one beside to him, in a row, always narrowingly missing him.

Just as they are about to reach the bridge, another rocket hits Ratchet's behind and he transforms, throwing Sarah into the air, as he starts running as fast as he can. She huffs and then falls forward, grabbing his chestplates as Ratchet keeps running. The bullets from the machine-gun still follow them as Sarah holds on to her lover's chestplates as best as she can, gritting her teeth as Ratchet moves faster and faster.

He turns right, trying to evade the bullets and then turns forward, dropping himself as he jumps away on all fours. " Urgh" Sarah groans, holding on to Ratchet as best as she can, fingers, feet and arms and legs straining with the strenght to hold on. Ratchet can barely put himself upright when a missile hits his rightleg and explodes, blowing it right off. "Aah, aah." The impact sends Sarah to the ground.

"No!" She wails and then starts falling. Ratchet turns, facing his attackers, weight resting on his arms and hands. Sarah is able to grab his arm and breaks her fall slightly as she drops to the ground. Tears start to fill her eyes as she sees her love trying to salvage himself. Her beautiful lover, shot apart like something that **needs exterminating.** Ratchet tries to stand up, skipping on one leg. " Please!" He says, pained. " Hold your fire!" He still skips on one leg, watching as black jeeps surround him. He cannot keep his weight up for long because soon he falls back onto his hands, rolling around. " Don't fire." He says, as he turns forward, facing the men surrounding them.

" Can you not see I've been wounded?" Sarah lies a few meters away, still on the ground, blood dripping from her head and arms, scratches and wounds all over her body from the explosions. Ratchet groans in pain again, holding his chest plate with his right hand and then moving his left forward in a pleading motion. " Medical officer Ratchet. I am a friend!" He says and then puts his let arm down to support his weight. He puts himself up again supporting now his weight on his remaining knee as he holds his hands and arms out in a placating gesture. " I am an autobot!" He pleads.

" Then why were you running." A man with short grey hair says, holding a gun. Sarah, silently crawling over to Ratchet stops. She knows that voice. " Ratchet." She whispers. " Ratchet!" She tries to say. She knows the man is bad news. But Ratchet cannot hear her, she is still to far from him.

Ratchet heaves, weight still on his knee as he still holds out his arms. " Optimus send out this distress message." He says; holding his hand up to block the lights of the helicopters flying over him and then pushes a button on his chest.

 ** _"Calling all autobots. We are under targeted attack. Seize all contacts with humans."_**

Ratchet looks down and then again at the soldiers surrounding him. " We are all hiding. All autobots are being hunted. We are all in danger." Sarah is still crawling forward when the soldier with grey hair answers. She knows his voice. " I lost a sister in Chicago. You won't get any sympathy of me." Then it flashes across Sarah's mind. " Savoy." She spits, as she finally reaches Ratchet. She brings herself forward and brings her arm around his remaining leg. He says nothing but she feels in the shuddering of his leg that he knows she is with him and is glad for it.

But she does not go unnoticed. " Seize contact with humans, huh?" A soldier chortles. " What's this then?" The soldier walks forward and grips Sarah by her arm, dragging her away from Ratchet. " Let me go!" she screams, struggling, voice nearly dissapearing as she screams again and again.

" Sarah!" Ratchet says and reaches for her. Yet it's too late. A shot resounds and then a large rocket comes flying, hitting Ratchet right in the chest? It mazkres him fly and stumble backwards. Ratchet backs up, pushing himself backward with his remaining leg, left arm up and weapons out. Still pushing himself backwards until his back rests on a metal container, he responds angrily." What's wrong with you humans?!" He tries to stand up and shoots as best as he can at the soldiers firing at him, but they are strong, perhaps too strong.

"...!" A long ugly wail sounds form the brown-haired woman's throat, still fighting the soldiers holding her, as she sees Ratchet fall. Her face is wet with tears and she struggles, mouth trembling, trying to reach Rathchet in vain.

Another rocket and Ratchet groans in pain and is blasted away, falling on his left side and then forward, on his belly, still firing. " Ah!" he groans, as he tries to get up. " No! Please!" Ratchet begs, but the soldiers don't care, shooting at him, deaf to his pleas.

Ratchet is now down on his back, pushing himself away, groaning in pain and still trying to fire. " Get off!" Sarah screams and bites the soldier holding her in his hand _hard_. He screams and lets her go as she runs to Ratchet.

" Ratchet! Ratchet!" As soon as Sarah is near him she stops next to him and sits next to him. " Oh, my love." She whispers as he still groans and moans in pain. " Ah!" Ratcher moans, as he looks at her. " She comes closer to him and softly kisses his cheek. " Sarah. Ah." Ratchet moans. " Shh. It's okay. I will not leave you. " She says.

But it's not the end of their pain. The brown-haired woman hears the familiar sound of metal whirring and then a large silver, steel-coloured robot approaches. The soldiers surrounding them still hold their guns pointed at them but have stopped shooting.

Sarah turns around to look at the transformer, dread filling her stomach. " He's mine now." The robot says as he steps towards Ratchet. Ratchet lays on his side, still, and then turns towards the robot. " Lockdown." The medical aoutobot says with disdain, trying to push the woman by his side behind him.

" Autobots, decepticons, like little children. Always fighting." The steel robot says as he arms his gun." Making a mess out of the universe and then I have to clean it up." Sarah gritts her teeth and tries to put herself in front of Ratchet, but he holds her back.

" There is only one way to survive. Tell me where he is hiding. Where..is Optimus Prime." Lockdown says, nose curling with each words he says.

" Never!" Ratchet sighs, face falling to the left, plates loosening and falling from his face. He makes an ultimate last attempt at trying to get away. His hand holds on to Sarah, squuezing her and then Lockdown puts his foot down on Ratchet's abdomen and points his gun at his heart. "No!" Sarah says as she realizes what he is planning. " No!" But Ratchet's grip is strong and she cannot get loose. His face turns to her and in his eyes she sees the love for her burning bright. And she realises she reflects thta same smile, because a small smile is on his face. She tries to smile for his sake, but it's more like a grimace, dirty face, hair hanging in it and wet of tears as she tries to smile a second time. Ratchet smiles at her and one of his fingers carresses her neck.

Lockdown sneers at the autubot below him and then the gun-like extractor pushes itself into the green transformer's chest, pulling out the spark. His arms come forward, trying to stop Lockdown but it's too late.

With a last moan from Ratchet, Lockdown pulls out the spark of his body and the green autobot's body relaxes. " Never is here." Lockdown says and then puts the spark away, leaving the brown-haired woman alone as he walks away.

Sarah let's out a pained wail and then starts crying as she caresses his arm. She can feel her heart breaking and is pretty sure she feels **her soul tear in two.**

"Ratchet." She heaves.

" Do what you want with the woman." Lockdown says, transforms and then leaves.

Sarah is still crying silently, hand before her mouth when Savoy approaches. " Look at this bitch." He says. ' Sleeping with the enemy." -" Traitor!" He screams. He moves quickly, to quickly for someone as untrained as Sarah.

Before she knows it his fist swings towards her face and she feels her head being thrown back, hair flying. Barely time to breath, the fist comes again and for a momen her heart shutters and then fist comes to her other cheek and she hears the bone fracture and break. She coughs, pain in her mouth as her face quickly starts growing blue.

Sarah's vision is swimming but then she focuses on Savoy. He now sits on his knees in front of her, large knife moving left and right before her eyes. She watches the knife, it's movement hypnotising her in a trance.

She remembers for a moment. Everything. When she left Chloe and Ironhide behind, her and Ratchet's grief over mutual friends they would not see for a long time.

She thinks of them walking in woody and rocky areas, Ratchet behind her whenever needed. She remembers the winters with the first snow fall, when they found a cave to remain in and they were safe because it was too high up to be found. She remembers his stunned face when she hit him in the face with snow, the wet murky substance dripping from his face and her laughter at it.

She remerbes a lonely beach at night, kisses in the dark and sleeping with the sun on her face. Even though they'd been on the run for years, she wouldn't trade their years together or their relationship for anything. And it is solace that she knows he _knew_ , from the moment she said it all those years ago, for the first time, when hunger in her belly made her ache and the cold made her teeth shatter and Ratchet's body was cold and slow and they had to hide together, warming each other , prospects without hope for there was no food, no water, only themselves and each other to keep them strong.

There were easier times of course, when they had everything in abundance andt hey could relaxe for they weren't followed. But she remembers the hard times as well, when she could keep going because he was her strength and she was his when he felt like everything was lost.

" I love you. I love you." Her heat beats with that mantra and it feels like he is still whispering it in her ear.

Then she is rudely awoken from her dream-like state by a slap to the face. " Stay awake, you bitch. You know, miss Davis died right away with,.. What was his name- Ironhide? Lockdown pierced her body and his spark, all in one." He smirks. Sarah's twocoloured eyes widen and then she screams, tears flooding her eyes,realizing her friends have not survived.

" Oh hush;" Savoy says, shushing her, with a grin. Sarah grits her teeh, barely able to speak. She fingers a piece of Ratchet's armor that lies nearby and when the man comes closer, she hefts her hand quickly and pierces Savoy's leg again and again,until the piece is stuck through his upperleg and can't be pulled out.

Savoy screams in rage at her at her but she looks at him. " Asshole." She says. Savoy hisses and then grabs hold of the knife in his hand and then with an angry cry, plunges it into her heart with so much forceand rage it's tip is stuck in the earth below.

A breath leaves Sarah, air whistling though her mouth and then she falls slightly backward, back resting on Ratchet's arm.

Her heart beats slowly now, slower and slower until she barely hears it. The agent is now limping away, trying to get the piece out of his leg while Sarah, still in the crook of Ratchet's arm, looks at the stars.

" Stars in your eyes.. Stars in your heart." She whispers painfully, wheezing, remembering a poem Ratchet once read to her.

A last breath, two and then no more.

Sarah's lifeless head falls back softly, eyes closed - cheeks swollen and blue - light from the helicopters flying overhead illuminating her still face.

 _In our constellations we were infinite._


	4. Chapter 4

Optimus watches them, the human race that he has started to hate.

Yet, a few, he reasons, are still good. He watches Cade and his daughter Tessa, sneakily holding her boyfriends hand. But mostly he sees Bumblebee and Crosshairs discussing something and Hound laughing at them. A haiku falls from Drift's lips and Lauren looks up at him, nodding when he asks if she likes it.

The sun shines on her head and for a moment Optimus thinks about how he loves her. No, he is certain. He has come to love the young woman.

She looks back at him, green eyes turning to look into his optics, full of laughter. She grins at him and then turns back to the road before them.

The sun bathes her in a halo of light and he blinks, the sun warming his metal skin. He even fels warm inside.  
Perhaps it's not only the sun, but perhaps, the way she smiles at him does the trick too.


End file.
